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Red Wings hand Avalanche sixth straight loss

Mar 5, 2009 - 5:24 AM DENVER (Ticker) -- The Detroit Red Wings have climbed into a familiar position - the top of the NHL standings.

Johan Franzen snapped a tie midway through the second period Wednesday as the Red Wings dealt the Colorado Avalanche their season-worst sixth consecutive defeat with a 3-2 victory.

Valtteri Filppula and Kris Draper also scored and Ty Conklin made 25 saves for Detroit (43-14-8), which overtook the San Jose Sharks and the Boston Bruins for the league's top spot.

"I think we've been feeling pretty good about our game lately," Conklin said. "We've been scoring lots of goals. Killing penalties - we've been doing a lot better lately. And we've been solid in our own end too. Going into the playoffs - the last 15-20 games here, it's important to kind of button up every area."

Defenseman John-Michael Liles and Milan Hejduk tallied and Andrew Raycroft stopped 27 shots for the Avalanche, who have also endured a five-game losing streak and a pair of four-game skid en route to having the worst record in the Western Conference this season.

"We just have to go in there one game at a time," Colorado center Paul Stastny said. "We're not looking at the big picture. We have to put in a good effort, day-in-and-day-out. It's a long shot, it's tough. There's so many teams battling for a (playoff) spot."

The defending champion Red Wings are used to having the NHL's best record, winning three of the last four Presidents' Trophies. Detroit has collected the award six times overall, four more than any other team in the league.

"Obviously you want to be No. 1 (in the conference)," Filppula said. "I think we've been playing OK, at least the last two games. They still have two games in hand. They might get the lead right back but that's our goal for sure."

With the score knotted at 1-1, Franzen fired a wrist shot past Raycroft at 7:03 of the middle session. It was Franzen's 26th goal of the season.

Draper provided a much-needed insurance goal with 6:27 remaining in the second, converting a one-timer off a centering pass from defenseman Derek Meech to make it 3-1.

After pulling Raycroft for an extra-attacker, Hejduk halved the deficit with 1:41 to play.

Colorado nearly found the equalizer during a scramble in front of the net, but Franzen alertly stopped puck before it crossed the goalline.

"The puck went between my legs and it was behind me," Conklin said. "Sometimes you don't want to move too much or you'll knock it in a lot of times. (Franzen) is quick when he wants to be."

"It was a close one," Franzen added. "The puck got stuck between his legs there but he slowed down the puck enough, so I could catch up with it and get it out."